Preheat the oven to 350 F (175C) and line an 8"x8" pan with parchment paper.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together everything except for the oats. It’s okay if some coconut oil floats to the top. Once you add the oats, it’ll be absorbed.
7 tablespoons (98 grams) refined coconut oil, 1/4 cup (64 grams) natural almond butter, 2/3 cup (133 grams) light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (80 grams) brown rice syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Once it's totally melted, remove from the heat and stir in the oats until combined.
3 1/3 cups (300 grams) quick oats
Scoop into the pan, firmly pat it down with a spoon or silicone spatula, and bake for 15 minutes.
The edges will have browned just a little. It might be bubbling a little in a corner but you don’t want them to bubble a lot or it "fries" the bars and makes them too hard to chew. When you take them out of the oven and tilt the pan to the side, they should be firm enough so that they don't move. They firm up as they cool.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
Let cool completely, about 2 hours, or put into the fridge or freezer to speed it up.
Cut into bars. Drizzle the chocolate over the top.
1/3 cup (57 grams) semi-sweet chocolate
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Place in the fridge for the chocolate to harden.
Store in an airtight container at room temp for 1 week, refrigerate for 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months.